James t



' UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE,

OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BOTTLE-STOPPER FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,576, dated Aprillqt, 1885. Application filed January 20, 1885. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. WALKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Troy,

in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Stopper Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bottle-stopper fasteners; and it has for its object to provide a fastener whereby the stopper may be instantlyinserted into and firmly connected with the bottle, and as quickly disconnected or unfastened and removed. I

With these ends in view it consists, essentially, of a button having an eye and an elastic packing connected thereto, and of an eccentric fitted within the eye and provided with projecting pins, and a lever held thereto by the pins, a depression being also formed in the periphery of the eccentric so as to engage the bail.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which similar letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding features, Figure 1 represents a portion of a bottle having my improved fastener applied thereto, looking at the latter from the front thereof; Fig. 2, a like view of a portion of a bottle, looking at the side of the fastener, showing the bail in section; Fig. 3, a detached enlarged side elevation of the eccentric, showing a portion of the lever; Fig. 4, an edge view of the eccentric, showing the front of the lever; and Fig. 5 a detached perspective view of a modification of the construction of the eye formed on the button.

The letterA designates the upper portion of the bottle of the ordinary or any approved construction, to which is connected an encircling neck-wire, B, having eyes formed there in for the reception of the inwardly-extending ends of the bail O. This bail is designed to be constructed of wire of substantially the configuration shown in the drawings, the cross-portion D of which is engaged by the eccentric, as will presently appear.

preferably of malleable'iron, to the lower por- JAMES T. WALKER, OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY H. WELLS,

tion of which is connected in any approved manner an india-rubber or other elastic packing, E, which enters the mouth of the bottle and forms a yielding contact between the same and the metallic button. Cast integrally with this button is an eye, G, and within said eye is fitted a metallic, preferably a cast, eccen tric, H, so as to freely rotate therein. Cast integrally with this eccentric, and projecting from either side thereof, are the pins I and J between which is fitted the respective mem bers of an actuating-lever, K. This lever is firmly maintained in place by giving the pins J a slight blow with a hammer, which binds th'em positively against, and somewhat over, the

members of the lever, thereby preventing the same from displacement in any direction, and also preventing the eccentric from becoming dislodged from the eye, maintaining the several parts of the whole device in their proper relative position. The periphery of the eccentric is provided with a depression or recess agree ing substantially in size with the diameter of the bail C, and in which the cross portion D of the latter fits.

pinges the edge of the button or outer side of the bottle-mouth the eccentric will be rotated in the eye and the bail drawn inwardly, there- Thus it will be seen that by pressing the lever K downwardly until it imby forcing the button down upon the rubber 1 packing and the latter firmly within the bottle-mouth.

The position of the lever K with respect to the depression in the periphery of the eccentric is such that when the lever is in the position above described and as represented in Fig. 2 the bail will have traveled somewhat across the center of the eccentric, thus bringing the strain on a line 'between'such center and the point of contact of the lever with the button or bottle. Thiseffectuallyprevents the eccentric from turning back, and maintains the lever against its resting-point. When, however, it is desired to remove the stopper, it is simply necessary to press the lever K upwardly or away from the bottle, whenthe rotation of the eccentric will cause thebail to cross the center of the latter and carry it to the lower portion of the eye G, thereby entirely releasing the stopper.

In Fig. 5 the eye G is shown as provided with a short stud, L, extending from the face thereof, one being on each side. These studs act to prevent the lever from swinging too far down on that side should it be desirable to limit its movement in that direction.

In the manufacture of my improved fastener I entirely avoid the necessity of finishing up the different parts, as they are ready to be put together after the bail and lever have been bent into proper shape, and the button with the eye and the eccentric have been cast.

In putting the several parts together the bail is first passed through the opening in the eye G. The eccentric is then slipped into this opening, with the depression in the same embracing the bail. The lever is then fitted between the points I and J, and the latter given a blow in the manner above described. This completes the fastener proper, and its application to the bottle is effected by simply entering the ends of the bail into the eyes formed in the neck-wire B, the latter having'been pre viously applied to the bottle. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bottle-stopper fastener, the combination, with the bail secured to the bottle and having a cross portion, of the button having an elastic packing, and an eye formed thereon, the eccentric fitted within said eye having pins projecting therefrom, and the lever held between the said pins and having a depression in its periphery, between which and the eye the bail is fitted, whereby the button is forced against the bottle.

2. The combination, in a bottle-stopper fastener, with an eccentric provided with pins extending from either side thereof, of the lever fitted between said pins and held in place by one or more of the pins being upset over and against the same.

3. The combination, in a bottlestopper fastener, of an eccentric having a depression in its periphery, and a series of pins formed integrally therewith and projecting from either side of the lever having two members, each of .which is fitted between the pins on the respective sides of the eccentric, two of the pins being upset over and against the lever.

4. In a bottle-stopper fastener, the combination, with the bail, the button having an elastic packing, and an eye formed integrally therewith, of the eccentric fitted within said eye having projecting pins, and the lever fitted between the same, and a depression in its periphery, between which and the eye the bail is fitted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES T. \VALKER.

Witnesses:

EDWIN L. BRADFORD, M. P. CALLAN. 

